Day 8: Psalm 118

Psalm 118
We arrive at Easter with a sense of greater trust in the Lord and joy in our hearts knowing that He has defeated sin and death.  Psalm 118 is known as an Easter Psalm as it is always prayed in the Liturgy of the Hours on Sundays either in Morning Prayer or Daytime Prayer. It is the responsorial psalm for Easter Sunday and will show up as the responsorial psalm on Friday and Saturday of the Octave of Easter as well as on Divine Mercy Sunday. Thus, showing it to be the Easter Psalm par excellence!

As we pray this psalm today, it will have a different feel in light of the Resurrection as opposed to how we prayed it on Holy Thursday as the last psalm Jesus prayed and sang as He journeyed to the garden.  Pay attention today to how this psalm strikes you differently. Notice the tones of victory, celebration, and thankfulness.
 
Pray Psalm 118 in your Bible by using the steps in the praying with the scriptures on the St. Joseph Retreat Center website blog or the Facebook post. Imagine coming to the empty tomb on Easter Sunday. Imagine seeing Jesus alive and risen from the dead. Then use the questions below to help you in your meditation and prayer.
 
What words or phrases stood out to you as you prayed this psalm?
 
How do these words strengthen your faith and hope in Jesus?
 
How can they strengthen us during this time of worry and fear in our lives?
 
Write down or even memorize that special word or phrase that gives you peace and strength.
 
I hope and pray that these reflections have helped you to enter into Holy Week differently and more powerfully. In spite of the circumstances in which we find ourselves, Easter reminds us of the ultimate victory of Jesus over sin and death. It reminds us that we are loved and never alone as He remains always with us. Praying with the Word and staying close to His Sacred Heart through the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Fatherly Heart of St. Joseph give us comfort in knowing we are all deeply loved!

Christ is Risen, Alleluia
He is Risen indeed, Alleluia
 
May you have a blessed Easter and be filled with His blessings during this Easter Season!